


Let the Dice Fly High

by misura



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Battle City Arc, F/M, Pre-Het
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-03-27
Updated: 2005-03-27
Packaged: 2017-10-13 11:11:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/136707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Predictable equals boring.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let the Dice Fly High

"So ... you can see everything before it happens?" Otogi asked.

"Indeed," Ishizu replied, wondering how often she'd have to repeat that to make it stick. She swore that if he'd ask her to do card-tricks, she'd empty her lunch-tray over his head.

Which, admittedly, would be a shame, since Kaiba appeared to have hired quite a skilled cook to provide the meals for the Battle City-finalists, but ah well, for a good cause ...

"That sounds incredibly boring," Otogi commented, looking pensive.

"Excuse me?" Ishizu asked. She'd had many reactions to her declaration of being able to see the future, yet this one was new.

"Well, think about it." Otogi gestured with his bread, before taking a small bite out of it. Once he'd chewed and swallowed, he continued. "You'll never get any surprises. Never. I bet you're bored out of your mind most of the time."

"That is not quite ... correct." Ishizu frowned. "I have responsibilities. Important tasks."

"How long has it been since you laughed?" Otogi demanded, in a voice that sounded like he felt he had a right to know. "How long ago has it been since you smiled at something funny? If you don't watch out, miss, you'll become like Kaiba! Only prettier, of course," Otogi added magnanimously.

Ishizu snorted. "I hardly think there's much risk of _that_."

"Convince me," Otogi invited, taking another bite of his bread.

"My ... gift does not entirely work the way you appear to assume it does," Ishizu started, wondering why she felt even the least desire to discuss something as complicated as the powers that the Sennen Tauk gave her with some utter stranger. Still, she supposed there could be little harm in it; the boy wasn't even a finalist. "It doesn't show me absolutely _everything_."

"Ah." Otogi winked. "So ... no spoilt birthday-surprises after all, eh?"

Ishizu shrugged. "It has been a while since I celebrated my birthday."

"That's normal, believe me. Once a year is standard," Otogi assured her.

"I - " Ishizu opened her mouth, then closed it again, concluding that her conversational partner had a strange sense of humor. If it could be called 'humor' at all. "I know that."

"Right." Otogi snatched up a pair of dice, seemingly out of thin air. "So ... what am I going to roll?"

Despite her earlier resolutions, Ishizu answered the question. "Eight. A three and a five."

Neither of them looked surprised at her prediction coming true. Otogi picked up his dice again. "Can you also foretell my next _three_ rolls?"

"No," Ishizu replied coldly, at the same time the Tauk informed her Otogi'd roll a seven (four and three), a ten (double-five) and a three (two and one). "I'm not here as some entertainer."

Otogi sent his dice flying again. "Nobody is here as that, officially. That doesn't keep me from feeling like we're all here solely for Kaiba's private amusement. He dangles a lot of money as a prize, throws some more money at the authorities, and he gets a whole circus going."

"If that is so, then why are you here?" Ishizu inquired, sampling the vegetables on her plate. They tasted amazingly fresh.

"As a kid, I used to like circuses." Otogi shook his head. "Naw, I'm just here because of Yugi."

"I see." Ishizu nodded, refraining from voicing her opinion that Otogi was _still_ a kid. And from asking why he didn't enjoy circuses anymore.

"But, anyway, since time flies and all that, what's my answer?" Otogi grinned.

Ishizu stared at him blankly. "Your answer to what?"

"The answer to the question I've been meaning to ask you since I saw you come pretty close to beating Kaiba and staying so cool about it?" Otogi proposed. "I thought you'd have foreseen my asking of it."

"You're not important enough to show up in my visions," Ishizu replied absently. "Besides, the Tauk only shows me what _will_ happen. Not what _won't_ happen, because you make faulty assumptions."

"Hmm. I guess that makes sense, in some twisted, illogical way. All right then, once this tournament is over, would you like to spend some time with me?" Otogi smiled at her winningly.

"I don't think so," Ishizu replied calmly.

Otogi looked disappointed. For a full five seconds, that was.

"A pity. Still, should you ever change your mind, the invitation stands. Now, if you'll excuse me. I see Shizuka has entered with Honda, and I really need to tell her to have some of this salad."

Ishizu wasted her nod in farewell, as Otogi had already risen and was now walking in the direction of the couple near the door. He didn't look back.

She told herself it didn't matter and started on her dessert.

The chocolate tasted exquisitely bitter.


End file.
